Never Was And Never Will Be
by 25rhieannerain
Summary: After passing out during a seemingly typical day at work, Alec wakes up to a blissful alternate universe where he is the leader of a famous rock band and Max is his wife. With the help of two male hunters - one of which wears an uncanny resemblance to Alec, Max tries to find a way to bring Alec back before she loses him forever. Co-written with Oyaji Murakami. M/A
1. Breaking the Record

"Never Was And Never Will Be"

By: 25rhieannerain

DISCLAIMER: Obviously, I do not own Alec or Max or anything that is related to the two series I chose to write a story about because if I do, I wouldn't be writing a story about Alec and Max together. Alec's going straight to my bedroom, no questions asked. :)

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing a DA/SPN crossover story so please be nice (if you have any intention of reading and reviewing, that is)! And I'm really really sorry for the lack of an original plot and title. I'm obsessed with Evanescence so I'll probably use some of their song titles/lyrics on more than one occasion and I really loved that episode from Supernatural entitled "What Is And What Should Never Be" so... I guess that pretty much explains everything. I'm really nervous... please enjoy!

_o0o_

Having been a true-blue Manticore soldier for 20 years (not to mention having an in borne ability to attract everyone and everything - including trouble), Alec McDowell had had his fair share of critical injuries and life-threatening situations in his young life. However, getting dizzy all of the sudden and passing out cold in the streets were two things Alec wouldn't classify as run-of-the-mill despite of his apparent passion for playing tag with his eternally bud, Death.

Struggling to open his eyelids, the effort with which it took for him to perform the simple task irking him to no end, he managed to part them into mere slits, giving him a swaying, blurring vision of...

"Max?" Alec asked dubiously, blinking hard as he tried to make sense of what was in front of him. He was lying on a nice, comfy bed in a nice, comfy hospital room which most definitely wasn't Terminal City's pathetic "Medical". He would have paid more attention to those facts if Max wasn't...

_Hovering worriedly above __**me**__... and has... tears in her eyes? Oh man, I must have hit my head pretty hard on the ground when I passed out! _Alec thought aloud as he tried to prop himself up with his elbow, realizing immediately that it was a mistake when a wave of vertigo hit him and his vision started dancing with the stars.

He tried to move his right hand to put it to his head, and that's when he felt it – Max's hand... wrapped in _his._

_Huh! Max is **holding** my hand... now that tops the list of the weirdest things that happened to me today!_

"Alec, just take it easy, all right? How are you feeling, baby?" Max murmured endearingly, all the while wiping away the tears that almost fell from her eyes with her free hand.

"Scratch that! What... what did you just call me, 'B-baby'?" Alec stammered in utter bewilderment, the painful throbbing in his head increasing with every passing second.

"Uhm... yeah? There a problem?" Max answered, feeling a little unnerved that the term of endearment seemed to have ticked Alec off.

"No," Alec said while shaking his head. "Except that it officially tops the list of the weirdest things that happened to me today!"

"Honey," Max cooed, her hands reaching out to gently ease him back to the bed. "What are you talking about?"

"Max, are you all right?" Alec inquired, worry creasing his otherwise smooth forehead.

"I'm not the one connected to an IV drip, love. Now lie down and relax, will you? I'll tell the doc you're awake."

"No, no, no, no. That's not right. You're... you're supposed to call me 'dumbass' or 'smartass' or... or any other adjective that goes with the word 'ass'! You don't call me 'baby' or... or... or 'honey'... not even in my wildest... _dirtiest _dreams!" Alec exclaimed without as much a pause, leaving him gasping for breath as soon as he was done.

"All right. Now I'm officially freaked out, Alec. I'll go get the doctor, find out if that 'mild' head trauma of yours is making you –"

"That... that's it!" He cut her off mid-sentence. "The head trauma, I... I... I'm having some sort of... psychotic breakdown like... like Ben! Oh man, I –"

"Wha—What the hell are you talking about, Alec?" Max was looking as pale as Alec now, her apprehension increasing with every stupid-nonsense that came out of Alec's mouth. "You think _your_ twin is crazy? Well, Ben is actually outside, talking to the medical staff in case you need to stay here a little longer. Given the state of mind you're in right now, you'll probably have to stay longer, a _lot _longer!"

"Wait! Ben... he's... he's alive?"

"Oh my God... Alec... what the hell happened to you?" Max eyes were the size of an owl's at this point.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess that's a good place to start. What... what happened to me before I -" He paused for a few moments, rubbing his temples with his thumbs and trying to collect his thoughts amid the serious throbbing of his head.

"I... I went out of Jam Pony to deliver some packages and then I... ugh... almost run over this woman while I was riding my bike so... she jumped out of the way and dropped to the ground. I got off... helped her get back on her feet. And then that's when things started spinning around like... God, my head hurts just thinking about it! And then I started walking towards my bike... but I didn't quite make it because I was already swaying..." He paused to pinch the bridge of his nose. "And that's when things went black. God, still doesn't explain how the hell—"

"Stop, Alec, Just... stop...stop." Max ordered, palms turned towards him as if in surrender. "You said you came out of Jam Pony, right? Then what the hell do you mean by delivering packages? Riding a bike? Seriously, what the-."

"What? Max, Jam Pony's always full of packages and bikes. Hell, Jam Pony's got nothing but packages and bikes! Don't... don't tell me old Normal's courier business turned into a freakin' huge business venture while I was busy playing Sleeping Beauty here. Because that's... that's even weirder than Ben being outside this room alive and talking and all!" Alec said with a humorless smirk whilst Max shot him a flabbergasted gaze.

Max remained staring that way for a minute... and another minute... and another minute until finally, Alec couldn't take it anymore. Dragging the IV pole along with him, he started towards her. He paused when he spotted a fork on a table where Max was leaning. He seized the object and then, in a fraction of a second, managed to stab four tiny holes on the back of his left hand.

Utterly shocked by Alec's sudden psychotic action, Max froze, momentarily unable to budge from her position on the right side of the table even while Alec bit down a scream from erupting from his mouth and doubled over from the pain he had foolishly inflicted himself.

"My God! What the hell was that for!" Max yelled furiously as he helped Alec to his feet and sat him at the edge of the bed.

"M-max," Alec stuttered, wincing as he squeezed his injured hand. "This isn't a dream."

"Yeah, it's not." Max replied absent-mindedly. "I'll go and get the doctor before you stab your other hand just to convince yourself that this isn't a dream."

With a speed that belied his current state of weakness, Alec grabbed Max by the shoulders and sat her in a chair a little harsher than he intended.

"Alec, let go, you're gonna hurt yourself! You're... you're gonna hurt us both!"

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not... gonna do that, Max." Alec assured her, although it was not as assuring as he would have liked what with his speech starting to slur and his vision fading in and out of focus.

"I'm about... 5 minutes from passing out on you now. So we're gonna do this real quick... all right?"

"Alec, please, I have to get your doctor. You look like crap" Max begged, her eyes wearing that imploring sheen that Alec had never seen in his life. He would have given into it if he hadn't known what the medical staff would do should Max tell them what she thought was probably happening to him – knock him out for several hours with a strong sedative before he could even clear out some of the thick fog that gathered in his head.

"Max, please." He begged, his eyes mirroring the same sheen that Max was wearing in her eyes. She nodded and let her limbs hang loose under the weight of his hands.

"This isn't a dream. But it's most definitely not... real! Max, I almost fainted over these pathetic... holes! They're not even supposed to hurt like a bitch!" he said fiercely, dangling his injured hand in front of her face.

"I think I'm not... _me_. Hell, I even took a punch to my _severely_ injured shoulder from _you_ and went back to deliver six packages the next day! And you... you're _not_ you too because you're calling me "baby" and you're... mollycoddling me. And Ben... well, obviously, he's not Ben! Unless the medical staff is talking to a rotten zombie or if Manticore resurrected him like they did to Zack which I doubt very seriously then he can't be Ben!" he said with as much force and conviction as he could muster, ignoring the fact that he was truly less than five minutes away from shutting down.

"Alec, you're not –"

"Five... No... Four minutes, Max. You've got four minutes to tell me _who _I am supposed to be in this... alternate universe. And then I'll pass out, I promise."

"Alec,"

"Just humour me, Max."

"All right," Max began, her hands making their way to Alec's just in case he was really less than five minutes away from keeling over.

"You're Alec McDowell... You're 22 years old and you're –"

"I figured that much, Max." Alec interrupted. "Let's just... skip to the parts... that would explain why I'm _not_ supposed to work as bike messenger. And... of course... why you're coddling me and calling me 'baby'."

Max let out a dramatic, long-suffering sigh... and then smiled slightly at her _baby's _apparent naiveté_._ "You're too beautiful and too talented to just be a bike messenger, Alec. You're the famous main vocalist/pianist of 'Barcode'."

"Barcode?" Alec asked groggily, his eyes half-closed now.

"Yeah, 'Barcode'. That's the name of your world-renowned rock band. We came up with it together in the grocery." Max said matter-of-factly.

Alec would have laughed outright at the absurdity of it all under different circumstances, but with the red and black dots careening in his vision and precious consciousness slipping away, he knew he only had strength for a question... or two.

"And you're calling me "baby" and grocery-shopping with me because... what, I'm your 'boyfriend' here?"

Max couldn't help a smirk from appearing on her face. "More like husband."

"Husband?"

"Yep."

"Ugh... Gotta go."

And from that moment on, 22-year-old Alec McDowell had set a record for himself – passing out in front of a girl twice in one day.

_o0o_

So, what do you lovely readers think? Should I continue or just keep this crap to myself?


	2. Daddy

A/N #1: A heartfelt thanks to **Oyaji Murakami** for being the very first one to show enthusiasm for this crappy little work of mine! :) Your encouragements alone were enough to keep me going but GOD is really, really great and brought me three more sweethearts who kindly left reviews for the first chapter -** throwerpro, akirepisceserika** **and irey11**, thank you very much for motivating me! I hope you will continue to read and review this story even though it takes me so long to update. And more importantly, I hope I wouldn't fail you in the end. You guys are wonderful and I love you now!

A/N #2: This story is set post-Hello, Goodbye and any time pre-Freak Nation. Just wanted to use Max and Alec's little "apartment moment" in HG to my story's advantage. Also, I maintained the time period (which is 2021) and didn't force Dark Angel's timeline to coincide with Supernatural, which means Dean and Sam W. are 42 and 38 years old, respectively. But you guys don't mind, right? Middle-aged Winchester bros. are just as hot as the younger characters in this story, don't cha think? *winks*

Ayt, enough chitter-chatter!

DISCLAIMER: Like I said, if Alec is mine, I wouldn't be kind enough to share him with you, not even in a story. :) I OWN NOTHING and it's sad so don't rub it in! ;)

_o0o_

Dean Winchester rose with a start – squinting as the late-afternoon rays of sunlight bounced off the Impala's rear-view mirror and seized his sensitive green-gold eyes. He was breathing hard, his palms were sweaty and his neck felt stiff. On his left, giving him a troubled cursory glance before shifting his focus back to the road ahead with his hands firm on the steering wheel was his younger brother, Sam Winchester.

"Had a nightmare?" Sam inquired, taking note of Dean's strenuous breathing and repetitive blinking.

"Yeah," Dean replied nonchalantly, brushing a hand on his forehead and over his slightly greying hair.

Sam peeled his eyes off the road again for a moment to give his brother one good look. "What'd you dream about, Dean? You seem... baffled."

"Everybody's baffled when they wake up from a bad dream, Sammy." Dean deadpanned.

For the third time, Sam let his gaze drift away from the road to look Dean in the eye, treating his brother with his ever-effective puppy-dog-eyes expression. Almost abruptly, Dean's wall started crumbling visibly. Still, he managed to hold his ground, but not before convincing himself that this wasn't a cute little puppy who got kicked but his _ageing_, little-big brother.

"For goodness' sake, Sam, you're 38! You oughta find another tactic that will–."

Sam didn't even talk, just continued to stare at his brother with _that_ look and yet was still able to cut his banter.

"It's a stupid dream, really," Dean began – an indication that Sam's old tactic which he was just about to tell him _wasn't_ working anymore had managed to blow off his walls to smithereens - for the _nth_ time_. _"I dreamed of a 20 years younger version of _me _living some normal, apple-pie life. You know... monster-free neighbourhood, a nice house, nice comfy bed, gorgeous woman _on_ the nice comfy bed, a kid..." he paused with a bittersweet smile.

"Just peachy, you know? Except for the part where there's a black hole in the middle of my chest pouring blood wherever I go. In my dream, I didn't pay attention to it... not until I was drained dry and dead on the floor in front of the woman and the kid."

Sam pondered his brother's statements for a moment before commenting: "You're right. It's a stupid dream." He said with a slight cringe, not liking the implications of such dreams and the idea of discussing it with Dean even more.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about." Dean replied, wincing internally at the irony of his own words.

He could feel it – the painful gnawing in his gut, the sudden desire to throw up, the lump forming in his throat as if he was about the cry. He had felt it that day when Dad spoke his last words to him and then died ten minutes later, had felt it too moments before a kid named 'Jake' cut clean through Sam's spinal cord, and when Bobby lay sprawled on the floor of the van with a bullet hole on his head over a decade ago. He also felt it sometimes when Sam hadn't come back yet from their separate hunts, or when he'd done something he knew Sam would hate.

This time, however, there were no parting words, no impending death, no conscience being plagued by guilt, just raw panic and foreboding eating him up from the inside out for no apparent reason.

"You okay?" Sam asked with a tilt of his head as he studied his older brother's pained features.

"Yeah," Dean answered immediately. "Where we headed?"

"Seattle. One of Bobby's contacts said a group of Djinns are likely holed up somewhere in Terminal City."

_o0o_

Max knew exactly what she should do – get a manicure, but not before she could get her paws on Alec and kick his ass. She'd been gnawing on his left hand's fingernails for half an hour now while her right hand fiddled with her phone, debating whether or not to call Logan to ask for his help.

And what was she supposed to tell him, "_Alec's been missing since yesterday and isn't picking up his phone...", "I've a weird feeling that he got himself in trouble again...", "Not that it's something Alec doesn't do on an every-other-day (if not daily) basis, but this time it feels different and I can't shake the feeling off..."_? She knew what she was about to do was cruel; that it would be like rubbing salt to Logan's still-raw wounds which she herself had inflicted him.

Finally deciding that what she was going to do was meant for Logan's own good and safety (and not the fact that Logan had better resources and skills that would get him to Alec faster than anyone. 'Course she wasn't that paranoid about the bastard!), Max removed his left hand from his mouth so that she could curse under her breath and dialed the number she knew by heart.

"Max," Logan answered on the first ring, his voice slightly higher than usual.

"I need your help, Logan." Max said, trying hard not to sound anxious.

"What is it Max?" Logan asked, excited at the prospect of helping Max and meeting with her again.

Max stopped briefly, thinking of a better way to state the ridiculous thoughts she'd conjured up seconds ago that would sound less annoyed and seem more girlfriend-like. "Alec's been missing for a whole day and isn't picking up his phone."

"Oh..." Logan paused; Max could easily imagine the pained look on his face. "Alec's missing... and... let me guess, you want me to track him down?" he asked in a tone that seemed more fitting if he'd said _"you've got to be kidding me" _instead.

"I've a weird feeling that that _jerk_ got himself in trouble again," Max squeezed his eyes shut and mentally berated himself for calling her so-called "boyfriend" a jerk with Logan on the other end of the line. _Great. So much for sounding more girlfriend-like.  
_

"It's not that getting in trouble isn't something Alec does on an every-other-day basis," she continued, "It's just that... this time... it feels different and I can't shake this weird feeling off. Can you track down his phone?"

Logan remained silent for a moment and Max wouldn't be surprised if he was cursing and calling Alec different sorts of nasty names inside his head because that was what she had been doing ever since she found out that he was gone and she had to cover for him at work again.

The vicious string of cursing was replaced though, with a worried _"Where the hell is that punk? I'm definitely going to rip him a new one if he comes back!_" when she felt a distinct gnawing in her gut and a painful constricting in her chest.

She didn't want to acknowledge it, but she'd used the word "_if" _and not "when" every time she thought of the prospect of kicking his ass and it made her insides churn. She didn't want to admit it, but she was feverishly hoping that Alec would haul his beautifully-shaped ass back to Seattle, whether to ensure that her wrath would leave it lop-sided or to see to it that it would remain seated – safe and sound on the couch in his apartment, Max couldn't tell for sure, but she wanted Alec back in one piece all the same.

"Okay," Logan finally spoke, snapping them both out of their reverie. "I'll see what I can do."

Max couldn't help but smile at how admirably understandable Logan could be. For a moment, she was reminded why he loved the man. It was no secret that Alec wasn't Logan's favorite person, add to that the fact that he thought Max just dropped him like a hot potato for the younger transgenic. And yet, here he was, about to help the girl who broke his heart and the guy who did nothing but make his life miserable.

Max muttered a sincere "thanks" before attempting to end the call.

"A favor for a favor, Max," she heard him say after almost cutting him off. "Kick your boyfriend's ass for me when you find him."

Max let a full grin spread across his face, not only because Logan seem to have read her mind, but the fact that the latter was at least more positive than her to use the word "when". It propelled whatever hope she had that Alec would still get his ass kicked - twice.

"Consider it done, Logan."

_o0o_

Alec would've jumped off his bed and sprang to his feet like a Jack-in-the-box even with his eyes half-closed in the split-second change when he saw Lydecker standing on the foot of his bed beside Max. He was _that _close to doing it when he heard _her_ call him...

"Dad," Max said softly, almost endearingly as she looked up to Lydecker. "You sure Doctor Neville is doing his job right? He came up with the same results again, says there's nothing wrong with Alec's head. But he kept blabbering and wasn't quite himself when he woke up." Max said exasperatedly.

Alec's mind went to overdrive at Max's implications, he squeezed his eyes shut as the memories from awhile ago came back in rapid-fire succession and set his brain on fire. _Max calling me baby... Ben being alive... 'Barcode'... 'Husband'... Four friggin' painful holes in my hand... Not a dream... 'Alternate Universe'... Right! Right! _

He opened his eyes fully, looking intently at Lydecker and then at Max.

"Baby, you awake?" Max inquired, employing a sweet and tender tone which Alec knew was supposed to soothe him but made him cringe inwardly instead.

"How are you feeling, son?" Lydecker asked - his tone even and his concern genuine.

Alec felt the urge to say _I feel like forking my other hand again so I could snap out of this dream but I can't because it's not a dream so screw me _but forced an "all right" instead, convincing himself that these two people hovering over him were the _angelic_ counterparts of the devils he knew back in his _real _world.

"Doctor Neville says you should be fine. Except for some contusions and a mild whiplash which probably causes your short-term memory loss, all of your test results are looking good. You'll just have to help him fill in the blanks in the meantime, sweetheart, and I'm sure he'll be all right in no time. Your husband's health conscious and very athletic after all." Lydecker expertly but reassuringly told Max.

"You sure you don't have to check on him yourself, dad?" Max implored.

"I really want to, darling, but I've got another major surgery in less than an hour," Lydecker replied apologetically as he tapped the glass of his wristwatch with two fingers. "But don't worry, I know Doctor Neville. He was my top student back at Manticore..."

Whatever medical conclusions Lydecker spoke about next, Alec didn't hear. He felt the air leave his lungs abruptly at the mere mention of the word – _Manticore_. He was close to hyperventilating when Max placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You'll be all right, baby." Max spoke and her smile was magic.

"I'm going, sweetheart," Lydecker announced as he started towards the door. "Take care of him. And you, son, you stay away from the steering wheel for a while and don't give my daughter a heart attack at a young age, understand?"

Alec nodded absent-mindedly, his eyes focused on nothing in particular.

Max sat on a steel chair on the left side of Alec's bed and stroked his dirty-blonde hair, looking relieved than the first time he saw her before he passed out. "You heard Dad, Alec. Don't give me a heart attack at a young age."

"Max, Manticore... is it... is it back?" Alec stammered; a flicker of panic glistening in his green-gold eyes.

"What do you mean 'is it back'?"

"I..." Alec trailed off, his neurons switching to overdrive again.

'_Alternate Universe'... 'Alternate Universe'... Everything's different in here, Alec... Max calls Lydecker 'Dad' for crying out loud! Everything's different here... Perhaps even Manticore._ He repeated again and again in his mind like a chant before swallowing hard and refocusing his attention to Max.

"I ah... what I meant to say was 'how is it'. I mean, competition in the industry is pretty stiff these days, right? Isn't Manticore affected?" Alec ad-libbed although he knew it was an impossible stab in the dark.

To his relief, Max answered him with a tender expression. "Manticore is the most advanced medical university in the country, baby, I'm sure it will remain unfazed by fierce competition. After all, Dad left it in good hands."

_Oh, so that's what it is in here - a medical school. _Alec thought as he slowly eased off the tension in his arms and back. The relief, however, was short lived as he immediately realized what it obviously implied.

"Wait! if it's just a medical university then we're not –." He stopped to press his fingers at the back of his neck, trying to feel the embossed barcode tattoo that he was sure was there... until now.

Oddly enough, he felt kind of relieved to feel that _it _was still there.

"What is it, Alec? Are you hurting?"

Alec didn't answer Max's question and made a move to check the back of her neck as well. His eyes went ridiculously wide when he didn't find what he was looking for.

"Barcode..." he muttered softly, his eyes transfixed on the back of Max's neck.

"Oh come on, Alec, we already talked about this. Isn't our marriage enough proof that I'm the biggest fan of your band that you still want me branded with the same tattoo as yours like your hardcore little fan girls? Seriously baby, get over it! You know how much I hate needles."

Alec looked like he'd just been sucker-punched. This time, he actually welcomed the dizziness that threatened to rob him of his consciousness again, but before he could establish another record-breaking feat for himself, the door in front of his face opened... and he saw _his_ face. Clutching the hand of the guy who wore his face was a girl who couldn't be more than two years old... wearing _his_ green-gold eyes _and _Max's luscious bee-stung lips.

"Hey, Marion, baby. Come over here!" Max said in sing-song voice as this "half-half" of _him_ and _her_ untangled her hand from the guy who Alec now knew for sure was Ben.

"Daddy!" the sweet little girl bellowed as he ran towards Alec and jumped on his lap.

_o0o_

I really enjoyed writing this chapter as I was thinking of the four kind sweethearts who left reviews. PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW and tell me if this chapter kept your interested and maybe I'll be motivated to write the next chapter faster. _Ciao! _GOD BLESS!


	3. Good Enough

A/N#1: Hugs and kisses to all the readers who put this story on alert! It makes me feel so alive to know that you are anticipating the continuation of this story! To **Oyaji Murakami, throwerpro, akirepisceserika, irey11, X5-721, g3orgiap3ach3s, cassiopeia2003**, thanks for the PMs/Reviews/Story Alert and everything! I hope this chapter won't disappoint you and please, please REVIEW because I really want to know how you feel about the story's progress.

A/N#2: I'm going to be busy for a while so if I don't get to update this sorry sooner, I'm sorry. =(

DISCLAIMER: Dean's not mine, Sam's not mine, Max's not mine, Alec's not mine. I guess I could claim Marion as mine but other than her character, I do not own anything else.

_o0o_

Alec loved his "girlfriend" with the same passion that Max loved his Ninja. But Max hated _her, _hated anything that had bullets on them and could kill in a split second change. She knew she needed a gun if she truly wanted to protect herself from White and his cronies, but she just couldn't bring herself to possess one, not when such weapon put an end to Eva's life when they were but little children back at Manticore, not when such evil made it possible for Zack to give his heart to save her life.

And yet here she was, strapping Alec's beloved girlfriend in the waistband of her black jeans, the cold metal making the skin of her back tingle at the slightest contact.

_It's just for precaution._ Max tried to convince herself. But then again, when did she ever result to such measures to save someone's life? The absence of a gun during the most perilous of missions never fazed her before. Yet, as she blurred farther away from Alec's apartment where she had come solely to retrieve his gun, she felt more and more convinced that she did the right thing and even looked forward to Alec's reaction should he find out that she accidentally scratched the flawless silver handle of the gun when it brushed against the metal clasps of her waistband.

The thought of Alec looking like a child having tantrums over his damaged favourite toy put a naughty smirk on Max's face. She'd rather get her ten fingers chopped first than admit this to herself, but she'd give everything now just to mince words with Alec again. The longer he remained out of sight, the greater Max's apprehensions and confusion grew.

Ever since that night when she opened herself up to Alec about what really happened to his twin, Ben, Max knew Alec hadn't been the same; she knew she hadn't been either. For some reason, Alec got on her nerves less and less and became more and more eager to help the people he had allowed himself to care about. Now that she let herself to really think about it, Alec had always been ready to help prior to their tiny "moment" in her apartment. And sure, he complained a lot, but she also knew he wasn't really complaining, was doing it for the sheer pleasure of pissing her off, was more willing than anyone else in the world to do the most dangerous works with her... probably even more than Logan. Alec had always said that he did what he did because safe and boring wasn't his style, but Max knew it was _more_ than that.

And that's why Max thought she was starting to love –

"No! No! No! Get a grip, Max! "She yelled frustratingly at herself, spanking the side of her head with a gloved hand as she made a turn into a corner where she'd park her Ninja.

"I just don't want his blood in my hands. That' it! Not when I can stop it. And maybe I care about him too. After all, I inflicted him into this crap-hole of a world. He's my responsibility."

And with that, Max jumped hastily to her bike and brought it to life... all the while remembering with painful clarity the things she'd said to Alec not long ago.

_I'm sorry I let you out of Manticore. I'm sorry I inflicted you on the __world. Screw exposure. I'm leaving you here for White to deal with._

"I'm _not _sorry I let you out, Alec, really, I'm not. And I'm not going to let you get killed... not by White... not by anyone." Max said in a whisper as her bike accelerated in speed, not even aware that the thought actually escaped her lips.

_o0o_

Dean let out a growl of exasperation as Sam's humongous paw landed on the back of his head. He shot him a glare so intense it could have melted anyone who was directed at it, but Sam didn't seem fazed and glared back at his brother with a ferocity that dwarfed whatever emotion Dean held in his.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Sammy?" Dean muttered as he broke eye-contact, having come face-to-face with the one thing that unnerved him more than Sam's puppy-dog-eyes look.

"I told you to quit shouting! You're alerting the Djinns that we're here!" Sam snarled in a hushed tone, mindful to rein in his temper before he could snap at his idiot brother.

"Hey, would you relax? Nobody's home. Family must've gone to a picnic."

"Dean, if the Djinns want to have a picnic, they'll do it here." _Geez... you're the one who got screwed by a Djinn before!_

"Oh yeah? Then what are they doing hiding while free lunch is prowling around in here? You sure that Marcus guy's right about this place?"

"For the last time Dean, I'm friggin' sure!" Sam shrieked loudly in annoyance, earning him an irritating smart-aleck smirk from Dean.

"Quit shouting! You're alerting the Djinns that we're here!" Dean mimicked.

"Jerk!"

"Bitch!"

The two "idjets" could have gone on forever with their stupid bickering if it wasn't for a low, guttural moan of pain that wafted inside the old, rickety rest house. Raising their guns slash flashlights at chest-level, the twosome slowly crept their way to the source of the agonizing sound.

"Man, we've been walking around this place for like, twenty minutes and we didn't even bother checking the closets," Dean berated himself as he and Sam stopped in front of a wooden cabinet big enough to contain a body.

"Sshhh..." Sam shushed as he placed a hand over one of the closet's handles. "On three..."

Dean nodded and placed his hand on the other handle as Sam mouthed the countdown. When at last "three" had been mouthed, the brothers hastily pulled at the handles and the closet swung fully open; giving them a dim but unobstructed view of a young man with bloodshot eyes and deathly-pale skin, his hands chained to a metal bar over his head. On his neck, a needle connected to a tube with a gory blood bag on the other end was embedded deep into his artery.

Although he thought he already knew what to expect from this hunt, Dean was taken aback, felt a shiver run up and down his spine as a sick sense of déjà vu overtook him; increasing the dread that had been nestling in his gut all day.

Dean nearly jumped in surprise as Sam started snapping his fingers in front of his face, brows knit in concern.

"You all right, Dean?" Sam asked, noting the sudden change in his brother's complexion.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm all right. You were saying something?"

"I said this guy's dead, but his skin is still a bit warm so I'm assuming he died just minutes ago. Maybe he's not the one making that noise."

Dean's fists clenched and unclenched at Sam's words, guilt overtaking his dread as he assumed that the guy could have been saved if he and Sam had stopped their useless prowling and yapping a little earlier.

"Go check the one under the portrait. I'll go check the other two in the basement." Sam ordered as he strode outside the room.

One by one, the closets in the abandoned rest house got opened. Sure enough, there were three more victims dangling helplessly inside the cabinets but none of them showed any sign of life, didn't as much flinch or bat an eyelash when Sam or Dean shook them or placed their fingers above their nostrils. The victims were all _dead_ and they had been too late. Oddly enough, the corpses hadn't started to stink to the joint yet, which was another proof that they had died just recently. It was no wonder why Sam and Dean hadn't thought of opening the closets immediately.

"I'm gonna tear those Djinns heads off!" Dean growled as he strode furiously away from the cabinets, was about to shout _'COME AND GET US!'_ to the filthy monsters which he knew was lurking somewhere in the dark corners when his keen hearing picked up the same pained moan they'd heard awhile ago.

"Someone's still alive in here, Sam, let's go find him."

Sam stood up from where he was studying a dead girl's body and trailed behind Dean who kept his gun/flashlight trained to the direction where he believed the moaning was coming from. Minutes later, Sam could hear it too and the two of them were walking towards a room which they guessed was once used as a kitchenette.

When at last they stopped in front of a steel cabinet slightly narrower than the wooden ones they'd opened earlier but big enough for a person to hide in it, Dean immediately placed his hands on the handles and shot Sam a determined look.

"Keep shining the damn light," he told Sam before yanking the steel doors open.

Dean had been taken aback the first time he opened the wooden closet and discovered a grisly-looking young man hanging lifelessly inside it, but what he saw when he opened the steel doors made his heart jump to his throat and his legs wobble like jelly. For a second he thought he was going to collapse.

This was _his _nightmare...

This was _a_ nightmare...

But just when he thought this nightmare couldn't get any uglier, a dark figure blurred out of nowhere and stopped a few steps behind Sam who was still keeping his light-equipped gun trained on what was inside the cabinet. Panicked, Dean attempted to warn his brother about the looming danger but was already too late – the blurring figure, which turned out to be a woman in black, produced a silver gun and smacked its butt at the back of Sam's head, sending the younger Winchester crumbling to his knees.

"SAM!" Dean shouted as he attempted to reach out for Sam but was stopped dead on his tracks as he heard the familiar sound of a gun being cocked.

"Step away from the cabinet, or I'll shoot!"

_o0o_

Alec swore that if he started seeing pigs flying from his hospital room's window right now, he wouldn't be surprised anymore. Ever since he had been freed, Alec used brief moments of his life not spent on stealing and mating and grating on Max's nerves cursing up and down the people who screwed him over back at Manticore. Yet, with this beautiful 2-year-old brunette sitting on his lap, all he could think about was _Renfro was right, Renfro was brilliant, Renfro was a friggin' genius!_

Apparently, the late Renfro had unknowingly made the "next turn of the century" in the world of genetics when she'd assigned Max and Alec as breeding partners.

Despite her age, Marion possessed a beauty that would no doubt have peoples' heads swivelling to her. She could easily be mistaken for a doll if she was inanimate with her ridiculously long eyelashes and crystal-clear, green-gold eyes. Her skin, although pale like Alec's, didn't have a single freckle on it. The shape of her face, which Alec thought was more or less similar to Max's, had a distinct edge to it that made each and every angle of her face gorgeous and stunning. And her lips, Max's full, bee-stung lips, had that glossy pink-red tint that stood out starkly against her flawless white face.

And yet, as beautiful little Marion wrapped her thin arms around his neck, all of Alec's thoughts about Renfro and everything else about his altered world went flying out the window. He felt incredibly warmed, protected, _loved_. And it was so weird and so amazing at the same time that such strong force emanated from such a tiny girl's body.

Tilting her head upward so she could meet Alec's gaze, Marion spoke softly: "Daddy's eyes hurt?"

Taken aback by the sweetness and genuine concern that can be heard from such a tiny voice, Alec croaked out a weak "what?" and stared at the green-gold orbs that he knew was _his_.

"Baby, why are you crying?" Alec heard Max say, her sweet, worry-filled voice sounding like the adult version of Marion's concerned inquiry.

He wouldn't have known what the two were talking about if Marion hadn't raised a hand to wipe away a bead of tear that slid down his right cheek, and then, ever so tenderly, placed a light kiss on the eyelid where the tear had sprung.

"Marion kiss make it better," the little girl said as she kissed Alec's tears away.

He was crying... Alec was crying for what he remembered clearly as the second time in his life. The first time he'd shed a tear, it had been for Rachel. He had betrayed her... had set a time bomb under her father's car... had been too late to save her. Rachel had suffered for two long years and died. Alec had killed the first and only woman who had shown him how it felt like to love and be loved and he had cried on her deathbed a single drop of tear – one perfect tear that almost drowned his will to live.

Now Alec was crying again and he didn't know why. For the first time in his life, he wondered if this was what it meant to be _truly_ happy.

Shifting slightly from his position in the bed, Alec pulled Max closer to him and Marion and enveloped them in a tight embrace, trying to figure out for himself how a little girl's simple act of affection could make him feel like he had been resurrected from the dead.

"Baby, what's going on with you?" Max asked as she gently rubbed circles on Alec's back, worry creasing her forehead.

"Just... just let me do this, Max." Alec replied, unsure of what was going on with him either. All he knew was that he needed this - _wanted_ this so bad.

"Mommy and Marion hug make Daddy better?"

Alec nodded gently and whispered "yes" to the little girl's ear.

As his _wife_ and his _daughter_ snuggled comfortably to the comfort of his embrace, Alec let his gaze wander around his room. And then he saw him**.**.. truly saw him for the first time – **Ben**, the twin brother who had left him at Manticore when they were 9, the brother who had made him pay for the consequences of his escape _twice_ in the ultimate place of torment which was Psy-Ops, the brother who Max spoke fondly of knowing all the answers to life's questions when they were little.

Scrutinizing the look in Ben's eyes – a look which said that he was pleased for the warmth... the protection... the love that his twin brother had with his beloved_ family_ in his arms, Alec didn't even acknowledge the fact that having distorted answers to all the questions in life was what had eventually driven Ben into a downward spiral. Because the look in Ben's eyes _now_... the answer that glistened brightly in shades of green and gold, it was as close to "happiness" as Alec had ever seen a creation of Manticore get... and it was good enough an answer for him._  
_

_o0o_

Hope you liked this one. Please, please REVIEW :)


	4. Angelea

A/N#1: They say that stories have lives of their own. I now realize that it is true. This isn't how I planned my Chapter 4 to go down... I hadn't intended it to be full of sap! Anyways, just to be clear, this isn't finished yet and I may have to do a lot of editing and changing. THIS CHAPTER COULD STILL CHANGE. I just want my readers to know that although it takes me a while to update, I am NOT giving up on this story. 'Sides, I've my dear, sweet **Oyaji Murakami** to back me up (right, darling?). This chapter (and probably the few chapters next to this) is Alec-centric so you'll just have to wait for what happens to Dean, Sam and real world's Maxie. ;)

A/N#2: I truly apologize if some of you find the idea of Alec having a second name ridiculous! "Vaughn" is a name of a person who holds a special place in my heart, so I just can't help myself. ;) Also, according to DA forums, Alec McDowell's birth date is May 7, 1999 (or that's what his Jam Pony resume says at least). June 25 is MY birthday (just FYI). ^^

A/N#3: To the newest readers: **Catsmeeeow87, lacrymosa94, Silvertayl 57, and** **chemical-imbalance**, thank you very, very much! You make me very happy with your reviews! Hope you support **Oyaji Murakami's** works as well because she's every bit as awesome as you guys are!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Supernatural, Dark Angel, Sam, Dean, Max and Alec. Marion's mine though. (Happy now? Sheesh!)

_o0o_

**_Birth Name: _**_Alec Vaughn McDowell_

**_Born: _**_June 25, 1999 (age 22), Houston, Texas, U.S._

**_Origin: _**_Dallas, Texas, U.S._

**_Genres_**_: Rock, Metal, Alternative Metal_

**_Occupations: _**_Musician, singer, songwriter, pianist, multi-instrumentalist_

**_Instruments_**_: Vocals, piano, organ, guitar_

**_Years Active_**_: 2017 – present_

**_Labels: _**_Jam Pony Records_

**_Associated Acts: _**_Barcode_

**_Website_**_: www dot barcode49452 dot com_

**_Alec Vaughn McDowell _**_(born June 25, 1999), known professionally as _**_Alec McDowell_**_, is an American singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist. He is the founder, lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band _**_Barcode_**_. McDowell rose to prominence after the release of Barcode's debut album under Jam Pony records entitled _**_"Freak Nation_**_" which sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and helped the band win four Grammy Awards and twelve nominations. McDowell is also the American chairperson for the international foundation _**_Genetically Empowered _**_which aims to raise awareness regarding genetic defects and serotonin deficiency. In 2019, McDowell made headlines worldwide when he announced his engagement to American television and film actress _**_Maxine Lydecker_**_..._

_o0o_

"Hey baby, what's up?" Max chimed in when she saw the twins fussing over Ben's tablet PC upon entering the room, hands full of 'get well soon' cards and trinkets from Alec's fans and well-wishers. She settled the gifts on the left side of Alec's bed, causing the young man to diverge his attention from the tablet PC which displayed the Wikipedia page of _him_.

"Trying to fill in the blanks," Ben answered for Alec while the latter gathered the gifts in his arms, giving the impression of a child receiving his gifts excitedly on Christmas day. He eyed his twin ludicrously. "His head that whacked, Max? "

"Hey! You're one to talk, _psycho_!" Alec spat, dropping a tiny box wrapped in glittery sliver (Alec _Vaughn_ McDowell's favourite colour, according to 'Appreciation of All Things Alec McDowell' fan forum) to his side. He reciprocated Ben's ludicrous look with a heated glare.

Ben just chuckled and shook his head at this, completely unaware that his brother meant what he just said.

"S'that so?" Max said as she sat at her favourite chair opposite Alec's bed and placed a gentle hand on his lap. "You can talk to us, you know? You don't have to figure out things on your own."

"It's nice to have fans," Alec answered incongruously as he picked up the silver box he had dropped. He was honestly getting tired of both Max and Ben's patronising looks whenever he opened his mouth and tried to piece things together. Smart-Alec Alec had never felt so stupid in his life.

"Why don't you open that one, baby?"

Alec nodded and started peeling the wrapper away from the tiny package. His eyes squinted in delight as he saw a miniature version of Ben's tablet PC, white earphones connected to it. Yeah, it was nice to have fans. Back in the cesspool otherwise known as Terminal City, he'd worshipped the old, low-tech boob tube he'd stolen from some stupid ordinary. He'd received a punch in the gut when Max saw him using the antique mp3 player she had left at Joshua's place. And now here he was, getting a fine piece of gadget as a gift just because he got hurt.

"An I-pod? Surely your fans know you already have one of those. Why would they give you another?" Max asked, taking the gadget from Alec's hand to inspect if there's something special about it.

_I already have one of those? Cool! What're you going to tell me next, that I have my own private jet?_ Alec snorted.

"Maybe there's something inside like recorded messages or videos or something." Ben suggested.

Alec took his gift back from Max and placed the earphones in his ear. He scanned the folders and sure enough, there were audio and video files inside – audio clips of fans, predominantly females, singing what Alec assumed was his band's hit songs, video clips of people pouring a litany of praises about his good looks and talents, and of people saying that they were going to pray for his speedy recovery.

Alec's heart swelled with what he now identified as _happiness_ as he pulled the earphones out of his ears. All his life, orders, yells and curses were all that was hurled unto him. He couldn't even begin to imagine what the Ordinaries would do should they find out that a group of freaks were stuck in their midst.

In _this_ world, however, he was allowed to receive treatment in a real medical institution without having to worry about White or sadistic scientists trying to get a piece of him, he was to receive gifts and praises and well-wishes from people unknown to him, he was bound to live some normal, apple pie life with Max and his daughter. He was protected, cared for, loved. Most importantly, he was _free_. Him and Max... their kind, they were free in here.

Settling the beloved gadget down on the bed, Alec looked earnestly at Max who was gazing at him with a tender look. "Can I ask you something, Max?"

"Of course, baby, what is it?" Max asked, eyes lighting up in anticipation.

"Can I get out of this place now?"

Silence prevailed in the room as Alec awaited Max's reply. Judging by the steely look in her eyes and the way she bit her bottom lip, Alec knew he wasn't going to like Max's answer one bit. As far as he could tell, the world outside the confines of this hospital was every bit as awesome as the ones he saw on those pre-pulse movies; the life and the people were a force to be reckoned with, and he'd be damned if they were going to make him watch all those unfold from outside his window.

He turned his attention to his twin brother sitting on the other side of his bed who suddenly found his fingernails interesting, gold-flecked emerald eyes practically beseeching their replicas.

"Come on, dude, for once in your life, do something right for your twin!" Alec demanded –a hint of malice in his tone which was definitely lost to both Ben and Max.

"Dude, you're head's a friggin' mess! You should stay here for a while." Ben reasoned, shooting a quick glance at Alec's face and then turning back to study his fingernails as if seeing them for the first time.

"You mention my head being messed up again and I'll pull out your teeth and offer it to your precious Blue Lady!" Alec threatened, his beseeching eyes now flashing a vicious glare that made Ben's skin crawl.

"See what I mean? You're blabbering nonsense again. Dude, seriously, you stay here for a while."

"Lydeck-, I mean... _Dad_... said that I'm all healed now and just need a little help filling in the blanks. What? I can't do that outside this hospital?" _Seriously, one more day in this Psy-Ops smelling room and I'll fork myself in the carotid artery!_

"Baby," Max spoke in a soothing tone, gently placing a hand on top of Alec's bandaged left hand.

"What?" Alec huffed loudly in annoyance, practically ignoring Max's attempt to console him. He immediately felt stupid when he saw pain flicker in Max's soulful cocoa-brown eyes and when his little girl Marion who was sleeping peacefully on a huge couch full of plush stuff animals stirred from her sleep and eyed them with utter confusion and fear. Once again, Alec was flabbergasted with this tiny creature's ability to blow his walls to crumbling pieces with the intensity of her emotions.

"Come here, love," Alec motioned for his daughter to come sit between him and Max.

Marion hesitated for a moment and clung to her Marie the Cat stuff toy as if it were a lifeline, but when his Daddy's face fell in dismay, she slowly skittered towards the bed, fury stuff cat still in tow. For the second time in that day, Alec was shocked with how his little girl was extremely quick on the up-take.

"I'm sorry, baby girl," Alec murmured tenderly as she sat Marion on his lap and gathered her in his arms. "Daddy didn't mean to shout, all right?"

"Daddy hurt Mommy, Daddy hurt Marion too," the tiny brunette confessed, causing Alec's heart to thud painfully in his chest.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, baby," Alec said brokenly as she placed his chin on top of Marion's head and sniffed her strawberry-like scent.

Max made a move to leave the two alone while they had their moment, but Alec stopped her by gently pressing his palm over the hand whose comfort he deliberately shunned awhile ago.

"Max, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just want to go -" he trailed off. Where exactly did he want to go once he got out of this place? Had he really considered this Alice-In-Wonderland of a world, a place too good to be true, as his _home?_

"I know, baby. You want to go home. I do too," Max finished his sentence for him, eyes warm with understanding. "Dad said you can come home now. It's just me who wants you to stay a little longer. I'm just scared that –"

"That my head's still a mess?" it was his turn to finish her sentence for her. "I'm not crazy, Max. Believe me. It's just like... this might not make a lick of sense to you... but... I feel like I've been given a second chance in life. Kinda like being born again, you know? Everything feels completely new to me, Max. I want to _take_ this chance. I want to experience this new _life_. I want you and Marion and all of the people we love out there. I want out!"

Max remained silent for a moment, her warm, cocoa-brown eyes boring into Alec's emerald ones. She nodded her acquiescence and gave Alec's injured hand a very gentle squeeze for reassurance.

"I missed you," she said simply, the longing evident in her bittersweet smile. "I hate to think of it, but this accident's the reason why I got to spend more time with you again. We were both so busy but oh God, I really missed you, Alec."

"I missed you too, Max," he replied as he gathered her in his arms, smiling at how true his words felt. He and Max had always been together ever since he had been freed from Manticore. They'd been practically inseparable after her emotional meltdown while recalling painful memories of Ben. She was the first person to barge into his room and bully him into doing her bidding every morning and the last person to tell him to 'be careful' when he walked back home at night. It was only now that he realized that he missed her – _longed_ for her even when she was always around.

Max broke away from Alec's embrace and stood up from her chair, her position from the room allowing the golden rays of sunlight to further brighten the beautiful smile on her face.

"We're going back to Houston, baby. You want Mole to bring Angelea in or just go straight to the airport?"

"Wait, Mole? He's –" _I'll be damned! Lizard Boy can display his scaly ass in public in here?_

"Uhm, Mole, our... private pilot?"

_Holy crap! Lizard Boy's a pilot? Gosh, this is cool! This world is sooo friggin' cool!_ "Wait, wait, wait... Angelea?"

"Ah yeah... Angelea... you're very own private jet."

_o0o_

There, did a little tweaking. But still didn't manage to remove the sappy parts. Oh well, at least it's a little bit longer. So what do you guys think? You still want me to continue this story? Well, it would be really nice to hear from you because I've got next chapter ready. Just need a little more tweaking and it'll be published by next week. By the way, you have author **Oyaji Murakami** to thank for that. I love ya, big sister! :)


	5. Gone

A/N#1: Whatever's been penned down in this chapter, you have author** Oyaji Murakami** to thank for it. It was her genius that allowed me to update faster than usual and it's probably her expertise that would enable me to finish the whole story. Please, if you liked my story, do visit Oyaji Murakami's page as well and leave reviews on her stories. She deserves all your kind words because she's every bit as awesome as you sweet readers are!

A/N#2: This chapter's a little short for my liking. I may or may not change this depending on the reviews so please, please, tell me what you think! A little more motivation from you guys would be a big help.

A/N#3: Hugs and kisses to all the newest readers especially those guests whose kind comments I couldn't respond to. To Yssa Bella from the Philippines, _salamat ng marami, dear! _I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. Just this crappy little story of mine... and baby girl Marion.

_o0o_

Alec let out a long-suffering sigh as he went limp on his bed, fighting the incredible urge to smother someone with a pillow, preferably himself... or Ben.

Having been Manticore's toy soldier for more or less than two decades, Alec was a master of patience and endurance. But his brother was really testing his limits by being stuck in his hospital room – _again_.

He wasn't sure, but somehow, Ben had been able to convince Lydecker that he needed to stay a little longer.

Max had already said "yes" after hearing his wearisome monologue when Ben apparently slipped out to get said father-in-law to pin him back down to bed. Max had apologized profusely, conveying with her eyes that she had nothing to do with her _dad_'s decision, but he just huffed exasperatingly and, dare he admit it, pouted, before rolling over to face the wall.

Alone again and left with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company, which he found more annoying than helpful, he wished he could have spent a little more time with Marion. He'd been a butthole the last time he'd seen his little girl, and now he didn't know if she'd want to see him again after he went all drama queen and shut them out after being told that he couldn't go home with them yet.

He also really wanted to see his other baby, Angelea. Damn it. He'd been euphoric with excitement when Max had told him about her. Now he felt like a spoiled brat dying to play with his favourite toy which his parents were keeping away from him. Again, he pouted.

_You know what, Alec, screw you! You've done a crap load of dangerous tasks for friggin' Manticore and Eyes Only missions and all you can do now is pout? Who's the psycho now?_ He mentally berated himself before rolling over his bed with newfound determination.

If they weren't going to let him out, then come hell or high water, he would bust his own way out. He wasn't a cat burglar for nothing.

_o0o_

"Step away from the cabinet, or I'll shoot!"

Raising his gun unflinchingly despite the threat, Dean glared at the woman for a moment before allowing his eyes to travel appreciatively over the rest of her. _Well I'll be damned. A Jessica Alba look-alike?_

If only he was twenty years younger, he would have made a move instead of training a gun at her head. But then again, even if she was actually into older men, he doubted his creaky bones were up to the challenge of keeping up with her youth.

"Your eyes better make their way back to my face or you'll be missing a fun part of your anatomy when I'm through with you." Max warned, lowering the aim of Alec's girlfriend to a more personal area of Dean's.

"Now what have you done to him? Who are you with?" Max demanded furiously.

_Sassy and bossy. I think I just might ignore the whole age difference... and the fact that she obviously isn't human. Humans don't move that fast! _Dean mused to himself as he glanced down at Sam who was yet to stir from being clobbered by Jessica Alba's clone in the head. He almost felt sorry for his little brother if he didn't wake up before he killed this gorgeous little monster.

Max glared viciously at him as she adjusted her aim. She could smell blood, Alec's blood, everywhere in the place. She strained her hearing to pick up the sound of his pulse which was weak and dangerously slow. _Crap. This isn't good. I've got to get to the bottom of this!_

Shifting in worry, Max shot a glance at Alec who let out a pained moan. He looked like deathly pale and it was obvious that he didn't have much time left.

Even with her attention divided between Alec and the man stubbornly pointing a gun at her, Max was able to detect the slight change of movement on the floor and thus, managed to evade the bullet that zinged right in front of her in a split second.

Battered and concussed as he was, Sam bolted upright when he saw the woman ninja her way out of the bullet's range. _Djinns don't move that fast. No creature does!  
_

Dean kept a steadying hand on his brother's arm as he started to sway. Sam looked him in the face as if to confirm that what he saw wasn't just a product of his concussed head. At the look of utter confusion in his older brother's face, he raised his gun. Never mind that the woman looked seriously hot, he was probably going to wake up with a bitch of a headache tomorrow morning.

"What kind of monster are you?" Sam growled as he and Dean took a menacing step towards the woman.

Max was slightly taken aback by the statement. "I should be asking you the same thing. What have you done to him?"

"We didn't do anything! We're here to rescue whoever those bastards held captive in here. Now answer the question. What the hell are you?" Dean sallied back, fingers twitching agitatedly on top of the trigger.

"Why the hell should I tell you?" Max replied stubbornly, working hard to look unfazed even as the two men stopped at a dangerously close proximity and kept both their guns aimed directly at her head. There was no way she was going to evade their attack this time.

"We can play this game all night until your friend stops breathing here, Missy," Dean spat, trying to keep the dread that he felt at speaking those words. He hadn't forgotten about the kid in the cabinet; how the boy looked _exactly _like he did 20 years ago.

Max facial features hardened at the statement. "I thought you said you're here to save him!"

"We are. But you see our primary concern here is to get the monster. Now either you prove to us that you're not a monster or your friend here dies." Sam pressed, although honestly he was itching to get the poor guy out of his cage. They just needed to know what they're up against before they lower their guards and try to play hero.

Max strained her ears harder to check if Alec was still alive. He was still breathing, but his breaths were too shallow and frighteningly irregular. His pulse was increasingly inaudible now even for her transgenic hearing. She had no choice but to get him out of here now, and _fast_.

"We're transgenic. We were created in a lab that's why we can do things ordinaries can't." Max explained at last, reasoning that as soon as she got Alec out of danger, she could easily tie these bastard ordinaries up and lock them down somewhere before they wreck havoc for her kind.

Silence prevailed among them for a moment, and then the taller of the two bent his head down slightly to whisper to his companion, their expressions bleak and unsettling that Max attuned her hearing once again to get the gist of their conversation. But what she heard, or rather, did _not_ hear, made her blood run cold.

"NO!" the sound of Max's protest, followed by a loud clattering sound as the gun she was holding fell on the hard floor had the brother's heads swivelling to her in panic.

"WHAT?" Sam and Dean asked in unison, brows furrowed in bewilderment.

"HE STOPPED BREATHING!" Max shouted hysterically as she strode towards the cabinet, completely forgetting the threat that the two strangers posed for her.

It took less than 5 seconds before the three of them were frantically trying to break the metal chains wrapped around Alec's tattered wrists.

_o0o_

If this wasn't just the crappiest day of his life then Alec didn't know what it was.

He'd been filled with barely contained anticipation earlier in the day as Max finally conceded to his wishes and excited him by revealing that he owned a private jet, only to be forced back down to bed by an overreacting Lydecker and a ridiculously nosy Ben.

And then he'd acted like a bitch towards Max and his daughter, shutting them out as they soothed him until finally both of them got weary of his self-pitying and silently walked out the door.

He'd taught his escape would be a piece of pie, but what he'd conveniently forgotten was the fact that the barcode tattoo on the back of his neck was no more than a symbol – a logo that represents his so-called rock band's brand image instead of his transgenic seal. That's why when he'd jumped out of the window from his room (which was more or less than 20 feet high – too easy a jump for a _transgenic_ to tackle), he'd been surprised to feel not just pain, but one hell of a pain shoot right up his legs as he landed ungracefully on the ground.

Still, he'd walked on and ignored the fire that slowly lanced up and down his lower torso as the exertion aggravated his injury. He'd been a good distance away from the hospital when he felt people's eyes following him everywhere he went. He'd tried to move as fast as his limping gait would allow, but the the people began to run behind him; ahead of him.

And that's when all hell broke loose...

Now, stuck inside a reeking public toilet cubicle with his throbbing butt seated on the closed toilet lid and his knees pressed against his chest, Alec cursed silently as he fumbled for his cell, only to find that it had been smashed when he did the stupid jump back at the hospital.

"_Alec, please come out!"_

"_We love ya, Alec!"_

"_Oh my gosh! Alec!"_

"_Alec! Alec!"_

"_Alec, I love you so much!"_

"_Alec, are you taking a dump? Just remember to wash your hands before we take a photo."_

"_ALEC!"_

He'd been thrilled when he found out that he had a throng of rabid female fans, especially when he'd received the awesome gadget full of love messages from them. But now they were crowded in front of the cubicle like hungry wolves salivating over their helpless prey, their constant screaming and promises of hot monkey sex driving him nuts.

_Go away. Go away. Go away. _He repeated in his head like a mantra. For once in his life he actually envied those hardcore telecoercives working at Psy-Ops who forced people to act according to their will with nothing but a single thought.

Chaos ensued for the next 10 minutes until suddenly, the commotion and the screaming stopped collectively as if the crowd simply decided to leave him all at once. Alec briefly wondered if he had psychic abilities hidden in him that Manticore had failed to bring out.

He carefully popped his head out of the cubicle, only to find that there was nothing to check. No fans, no buildings, no houses, no streets – _nothing_ but inky-black darkness.

Moments later, the toilet seat where he was seated was gone; the cubicle was also gone.

And then finally, he was gone.

_o0o_

I hope I did a decent job of writing a chapter out of your ideas, my dear Oyaji Murakami. Please feel free to PM me if you think I butchered your concept. To all the readers who just finished reading this chapter, please review. A huge thanks to everyone who are still here. GOD BLESS YOU!


	6. Revival

A/N: My GOODNESS! It's been two weeks since my last update and yet this is all that I came up with! I'm really, really sorry to all the readers (if you're still there, that is) for the sloppy job! Also, to my dear, sweet **Oyaji Murakami **who believed in me right from the very start, I'm so sorry if this story's going downhill and if I came up with a blank, **again**. I don't know if I could still finish this (I really wish I could, even without the reviews and favorites that I soooo feverishly want), but right now my brain's not cooperating and it's very, VERY frustrating. So I guess I'll just have to post this one for now and see what you guys have to say.

A/N#2: I don't know if anyone is still reading this crap. Regardless, I want you all to know that I love you and appreciate each one of you.

DISCLAIMER: It's great that Supernatural and Dark Angel are not mine. With the writing skills and stupid ideas that I have, both series probably wouldn't even have a fighting chance for season renewals!

_o0o_

Max, in all her _genetically empowered_ (as Alec liked to refer to it) glory, couldn't even loosen the chain biting into Alec's tattered wrists. It took forever before Dean, of all people, came up with a crazy idea that would either solve one of their problems quickly if it worked according to his favour or save them the trouble of performing resuscitation by killing the poor transgenic in the process. Either way, their dilemma would be over before the Djinns came to complicate things further. He just fervently hoped for the former and not the latter of possibilities.

"You two, stand back!" Dean roared ferociously, aiming the gun's barrel at what he could only assume was the chain's breaking point from the scarce light of his gun.

"What the hell are you –" Max retorted in protest, but before she could even get the word 'doing' out, the chain was already shattered into many little pieces of metal, sending Alec's inert form crumbling to the cold floor.

Under different circumstances, Max would have taken a moment to marvel at the Ordinary's shooting accuracy that almost rivalled a Manticorean first class marksman's skill. But when Alec's knees went out from under him as if he was boneless, she blurred toward him in a millisecond – barely succeeding in keeping the transgenic's head from crashing to the unforgiving cement floor underneath.

Overwhelmed with worry so deep her heart was threatening to jump out of her ribcage (a feeling she didn't even know existed for the pain-in-the ass X5), Max began implementing CPR with no hesitation – forcefully pushing Alec's unmoving chest over and over until the ribs cracked under the devastating pressure of her hands. She barely had time to register her shock when a strong pair of hands seized her shoulders with a vice-like grip – bodily dragging her to a position closer to Alec's head.

"You're going to kill him! I'll perform CPR, you breathe for him," the taller of the Ordinaries instructed. Max was utterly surprised at the amount of concern she saw in the stranger's hazel-green eyes. "Dean, check the kid's eyes and fingernails."

Dean nodded tightly, but as he bent lower to shine the light on the young man's eyes, his forehead collided with the female freak's Cro-Magnon one, causing him to barrel backwards as if he'd rammed his head on a brick wall.

"What the hell!"

"What the fu –"

Max and Dean shouted in unison, both rubbing their reddened forehead. In fairness to Dean, his was starting to bruise noticeably even in the room's dim lighting.

"Hey, need a little help saving the kid here!" Sam growled exasperatedly, his words punctuated with tiny gasps for breath as he vigorously performed the chest compressions.

Max let Dean do his thing first, frowning as distress flickered in the man's pallid features as he examined Alec's pupils' reaction to the light. Dean then made a move to check Alec's fingers, giving room for Max to perform mouth-to-mouth.

Gingerly pinching Alec's tiny nose, Max bent closer and blew two breaths into his mouth. Mentally, she berated herself for feeling some odd sensation – something close to _delight_, when her lips brushed against Alec's cold ones. _Damn it, Max! Alec's not breathing!_ She repeated the action again and again in time with Sam's compressions.

When Alec still didn't breathe after Max's fifth try, Sam opened his mouth as if to say something and for a moment Max feared the worst had come when suddenly, Alec went into a coughing fit and then took in a long, shuddering breath like a diver out of water. He still didn't wake, but Max was so relieved beyond belief she couldn't stop herself from hugging Alec's head against her.

She glanced at the two men who released their breaths at exactly the same time. The taller of the two wore an expression akin to what Max knew was reflected on her own. The shorter of the two, however, sported a look that seemed to be a combination of both relief and... _jealousy_?

She let herself look down on Alec, only to find the X5's nose squashed against her breasts, the tiny wisps of air coming out of his nostrils tickling her skin. Involuntarily, she pushed the unconscious transgenic's head away with her hands – an action which elicited a tiny growl of sympathy from one of the men and a sarcastic chortle from the other. Without even looking, Max could tell who most probably made the irking sound.

"Okay, look, your friend's already breathing but he's not out of the woods yet. We _really_ have to get out of here before the bastard who did this to him comes back. We'll try to patch him up at the hotel. Dean and I know of a cure that could probably rouse him." Sam tersely explained, attempting to reach out for Alec's lifeless form as if to carry him to which Max responded by tightening her grip on the unconscious X5's limbs.

"Why the hell should I trust you?" Max spat, letting cynicism bleed into her words. Sure, these strangers had helped her bring Alec back to life and they did look genuinely concerned, but then again, they could just be concerned with the earnings they were going to receive if they turned in but one transgenic to the authorities.

"You think we're gonna sell you out?" Sam asked, having pegged the reason to Max's apprehensions straight away. His question was met by a rigid "yes" from the female transgenic.

"Look, lady, or... whatever you really are," Dean sardonically began. "I don't give a rat's ass what you think 'bout us. But trust me when I tell you this: _We_ are your friend's only chance. 'Sides, we've no intention of selling you out. I, for one, am dying to know what being a transgender has to do with having superpowers." _And most of all, I need to know why your friend is wearing my face._ _Scratch that, my face – 20 years ago._

"What did you just call me?" Max demanded – pissed that the bastard was making fun of her while she was scared witless that Alec could die on her any moment.

"Don't listen to him, he's stupid," Sam said with a huff of annoyance. "I'll explain what a transgenic is later, Dean. But right now, all you have to know is that she really is a girl."

"Okay, good. Would've been a real pity you know? Girl's smokin' hot." Dean commented nonchalantly as he led the way to the old but well-maintained '67 Chevy Impala parked outside the old rest house.

Reluctantly, Max began taking shuffling steps behind Dean, Alec's left arm slung over her shoulders and her right arm snaked around his waist. She didn't even flinch away when the tall Ordinary took one of Alec's limbs and slung it over his broad shoulders. Alec may be thin and he seemed to have lost weight in those few days that he had been gone, but he was still heavy as hell.

_o0o_

Oh my goodness, I feel like crying! The pacing is frustratingly slow and no matter what I do, my mind just won't conceive ANYTHING. How do you guys deal with a dilemma such as this? Now I totally understand why my parents vehemently disagreed when I told them I wanted to be a writer. This is just a stupid fan fic and yet I feel like pulling my hair out for not being able to pen down anything substantial for two weeks. T-T


	7. Remarkable Characters

A/N: I don't know what else to say. I'm impossibly grateful to my co-writer, **Oyaji Murakami **without whom I wouldn't be able to write jack-squat. Oneechan, you're awesome, you know that? These readers need to compliment you, not me!

A/N#2: Next chapter's almost ready but I won't be doing some editing for a while. I have a Marketing Plan competition coming up and a major exam on top of that. To those of you who are also wondering if I'm going to update Surrender, you have my word that I am not going to abandon that one. Just... not now. I hope you understand.

A/N#3: To all the new readers - **Aggie12,** **gabbygirl89, heathersemmes**, and (*oh my gosh* on this one!) **Dark-Supernatural-Angel**, author of "A Life I Thought Would Never Return" and several other works that I loved, thank you very much! Thanks to everyone who's still there! I love you with all my heart!

DISCLAIMER: Alec's mine (what? A girl can't name her cat after one of James Cameron's toys?).

_o0o_

Alec jolted awake. The cubicle he had barricaded himself in was back and so were the annoying screaming and pleading from demented women outside the door. He tried to move and was suddenly greeted by the pulsating of his legs which were sore and livid from his fall but numb from being seated in the toilet for a very long time.

_God, I dozed off in here?_ It irked him to no end that he didn't even have control over his consciousness anymore. Granted, he was probably coming down with whatever medications they had given him at the hospital, but he was going to have to be more careful with his newfound weakness.

It just proved his point about how fragile Ordinaries could be and it made him wonder how most of them could be unbelievably strong as well, particularly in mind and spirit.

Moving off the toilet lid, Alec groaned as the pain in his ass and legs returned. It almost felt like getting hit by a semi running on full speed and now he understood why Ordinaries would ask a person jokingly if they caught the number of the vehicle that hit them. Next time he did something stupid like say, jump from a 20-feet height with his Ordinary legs, or actually get hit by a truck, or if luck just thought of screwing him over like it always did, he wouldn't be saying the expression just because it was what a normal human being would say, but because he could now truly relate and it brought a whole new slew of sympathy for the people he had once looked down his nose – had taken for granted when they were at their weakest.

Stripped of his "genetically empowered" sash and all the privileges of being the epitome of genetic engineering that he once was, Alec drew a conclusion: *_being an Ordinary sucks... big time.*_

Still, if he thought of the pros of being a normal human being, namely being Max's husband and having pretty little Marion as his daughter, it thumped being a transgenic a thousand times over. Heck, he wouldn't even mind getting stuck in a wheelchair.

Guilt at the thought lanced up from inside him, but Alec pushed it down. _Logan didn't exist here_. Even if he did, Alec hadn't infected Max with the retrovirus and Logan wasn't in a wheelchair.

There was no need for _Eyes Only_ in this world and definitely no need for transgenics .

Everything was perfect in hindsight if he could just ignore the screaming fan girls outside the lavatory and the fact that he was probably going back to the hospital again, thanks to his stupid legs that couldn't handle a jump that a mere kitty-cat probably could.

_o0o_

Peeking through the narrow slits of the slightly-ajar bathroom door, Alec surveyed the department store which he had hoped to take refuge in. The Police stood guard at the doors, shooing curious onlookers away as the raging fans were forced to move at the store's front.

One of the police officers shoved the last one out, forcefully pushing the door behind him with his back as his radio crackled, informing him of celebrity Alec McDowell's escape from the hospital. He responded by saying he had found Alec's location which was confirmed by a mob of fan girls and that his team would be standing guard until assistance arrived.

Closing the door carefully, Alec frantically began searching for a way out. There were no windows and the vents were so small he would be lucky to fit his head through them.

In frustration, Alec punched the wall...

However, instead of feeling pain like he had expected, he was surprised to find that his fist had went straight through the wall. Smiling that stupid smile Max loved to hate (or hated to love, if anyone was to ask his opinion about it), Alec began pulling at the flimsy sheetrock with which the pathetic walls around him were made of until he created a hole big enough for him to crawl through. On the other side of the bathroom was a storage room and he couldn't help but grin at how easy this was going to be – almost as if it was a movie or a dream.

Snagging a black hoodie which was left hanging on a peg and to his horror, a pair of pink flip-flops way too big for his feet they would've fitted Joshua's, _*Damn, I miss the Big Fella! Wonder where he can be in this universe.*, _Alec slipped out of the loading dock and across the back lot toward the small wooded area.

He hadn't thought this through – he didn't know what his address was, let alone a single contact number. A cyclone of colourful vocabulary even he didn't know he possessed went shooting out of his mouth like Gatling gun bullets at the realization. For a guy with an IQ level above a hundred-ninety and two decades of military training, forgetting things as basic as those was indeed a stretch, he would give himself that.

Limping through the woods furthermore (all the while cursing every step of the way), Alec stumbled upon every root and rock he came across. As can be expected, his transgenic-sized ego had defied all logic and overestimated his injured feet's capacity that he ended up almost kissing the forest floor six times.

Standing breathlessly with one hand braced on a tree trunk, he almost knelt in relief as he heard the sound of running vehicles up ahead. He took five deep breaths and massaged his throbbing ankles before pressing forward once again, pausing twice for a few seconds to feel his forehead and his neck with the back of his hand. He noted that his temperature was more or less the same as it had always been, so why, then, was he feeling so out of it? Almost as if he was...

_Oh crap. That's right. I'm an Ordinary – an Ordinary running a fever from my stupid fractures. _For one moment he almost missed the comfort of that Psy-Ops smelling private room he had so foolishly ditched, but as the freeway slowly came into view, he quickly banished the thought and forced himself to limp faster, his weight favouring his left foot. _Suck it up, soldier!_

Lingering along the tree line to use as his guide, Alec exhaled and sluggishly trekked his way back to civilization.

_o0o_

Once at the heart of civilization, Alec permitted himself a full minute to appreciate the obviously Pulse-Free surroundings. He nearly landed on his ass as he caught sight of _himself_ – modelling some fine time piece on a ginormous commercial billboard. He stood there for yet another minute – mouth gaping like an idiot until the sharp stabbing pain in his ankles reminded him of the task at hand. Glancing at the handsome son of a bitch one last time with a self-possessed grin on his face, he pressed forward.

There were a lot of stores, a court house and a library on a small square with other business buildings surrounding them. Deciding that his best chance was the library, Alec made his way across the street, flip-flops flapping like pink flamingos during mating season.

With a shudder at that thought, he pulled the hood over his head – the cool dry air of the library soothing his sweaty skin through the tattered hoodie. Making his way to the librarian, he asked the tiny redhead if the use of computer was free. She told him it wasn't. They were free to anyone local who had a library card, but Alec didn't know if he was a local or not.

"Look, I just need to look up an address. I'm... kind of lost." Alec pleaded, hoping the surly tone and glazed look caused by the fever would turn into an asset. When the woman gave him a once over and sighed sympathetically, he knew his MO worked like a charm.

"Very well, I'll give you a fifteen-minute pass. That's all I can do," the redhead said, walking over and assisting Alec with one of the computers. He sat down and began his research.

First he typed his name. The search engine came up with a Wikipedia page he'd already encountered, countless fan sites, concert tour guides and several blogs, but he couldn't find anything substantial like an address or contact number. It was a setback, especially now that his eyes couldn't scan the details as fast as they used to. Changing tactics quickly, he tried searching for Max.

Eyes skimming over details he'd already read from Ben's tablet PC, he stopped at the segment with the heading "_Relationships and Family_". At the bottom of the long paragraph was a mention of their mansion in Seattle.

He was in Olympia and it was an hour's drive from there. Worst of all, he didn't have a single dime in his pocket or a car. Should he risk stealing a car to drive all the way?

Shaking his head and instantly wishing he hadn't as it made him dizzy, he logged off, stood up and thanked the kindly librarian with a smile. By the time a hint of recognition graced the woman's features, Alec was already far from sight.

Traversing briefly at the closest gas station, Alec settled in a booth at the diner attached to it. Truckers sat and chatter, relaxing before the next leg of their trip.

Taking a deep breath to work up his nerves, Alec stood and slid into a booth that had a couple of men just eating.

"Hey," Alec said in way of greeting, trying his best to look bummed with both hands stuffed on his pockets.

"Hey yourself, kid. Get lost!" the grislier of the two men snapped while the other grunted in agreement.

"Well, I am... already lost. Look, I'm just wondering if any of you are header for Seattle." Alec said, a little more hopeful than he thought he should feel. The look the two truckers shot him told him they had picked up on it, too.

"I am. But I don't take passengers. I could lose my job if I do." The one who grunted said, his jacket told Alec his name was "Robert S.". His companion, an African-American with a beard, wore a vest printed with simply "R. Turner" on the back.

"Come on, please?" he beseeched, unaware of the childish pout that graced his lips.

"I've had a really bad day and I don't feel too good. There was this mob that jumped me and I lost everything I had... They took everything, even my shoes." Alec continued, wiggling his toes under the table as the African-American guy raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, Bobby, isn't that punk all over the news today?" R. Turner asked, using his dirty fork to point at Alec. "You know, one of those kids with barcodes like a box of Coco Puffs."

"Bobby" looked him over and Alec shifted nervously, afraid the people sitting at the diner might have heard. Once sure that no one was any wiser about his "superstar" status, Alec leaned forward and let the men take a good look at the back of his neck.

"Well I'll be damned! It's not every day a celebrity just sits down at a modest diner out of the blue." Bobby grunted in _slight _amusement, obviously not giving two shits whether this kid was Queen of England or Tina Turner.

"Look, I can pay you for any extra gas it might take. Hell, even the whole drive there, once I get home. I really miss my little girl and my wife's probably having a conniption fit right now with me missing." Alec told them. He could tell that the old grump was slowly starting to give in.

"All right, kid. But you have to sit still. And no talking, either." Bobby finally relented and Alec couldn't help the childlike grin that broke on his face. "And wipe that stupid look off your face, you idjet!"

_o0o_

Please kindly let us know what you think so far. And, like I said, the next few chapters are sitting in my desktop (thanks to my trustee co-writter, AGAIN) and just need a few editing (maybe a talk or two as well about some minor stuff with oneechan) so please hang in there and keep reviewing. GOD BLESS everyone!

P.S.

I should have mentioned this before. My works are not beta-ed. All glaring errors are done by stupid ole me. So please just bear with me! :)


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